The Many People We Are
by delusional-pumpkin
Summary: ON HIATUS! Love is difficult as it is. It is even harder when you are confused about yourself. Join Miley and Jake over their years of self discovery: who they are, who they want to be, and who they can become. Full Summary Inside.
1. Chapter I

**Title:** The Many People We Are

**Rating: **T, just to be safe.

**Warnings:** Spoilers for _Ackey Jakey Heart Part 1 & Part 2._

**Summary: **Love is difficult as it is. It is even harder when you are confused about yourself. Join Miley and Jake over their years of self discovery: who they are, who they want to be, and who they can become. Because before they can be happy with each other, they have to be happy with themselves.

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing.

**Author's Note: **This story takes place after _Ackey Jakey Heart_. It will be a Jiley story if you could not tell from the summary. So, that's pretty much all I have to say for now. Enjoy Chapter I.

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**Chapter I: Six Months **

It had been six months since Miley last saw Jake. Six months since he stormed out of her house. Six months since he sent her the note and rose. Miley thought that after the jerk he had been, she would be able to get over him quickly. But after he sent her that note, she realized that Jake could be that guy she thought he was. That guy was the guy Miley wanted. She tried and tried to forget about him. She went out, flirted with hot guys, went out on dates, but it just never worked out. When it came down to it, no one measured up to the Jake that confessed his love for her, bought her a star, and told her his real name was Leslie. Miley missed him terribly.

She was lying on her couch, watching television after a particularly restless night. It had been three months since she came to terms with the fact that she missed Jake and no on else would do. She had not been out on a date since. Her nights were occupied with homework, Hannah Montana activities, movies with Lilly and Oliver, watching mindless teen dramas, and avoiding programs and tabloids that mentioned Jake Ryan.

She was flipping through the channels when he came on. She was about to change the channel again but she found she could not. It was advertising his latest film, _Dealings with the Devil_. Of course, he was the protagonist of the story. As Miley watched the preview, she could not help but think that there was something different about him. Granted, he was as attractive as ever, but there was something off.

"What are you doing, Miley?" a voice said near her front door.

Miley turned to see Lilly walking over to her with a frown on her face. She took a seat next to Miley as the preview ended. Miley sighed and turned off the television.

"Have you seen that preview, Lilly?" Miley asked, turning towards her best friend.

Lilly shrugged, trying to act as though she had not. "Um…of course not." Miley gave her a look of disbelief to which Lilly sighed then nodded. "Oh, of course I've seen it. It's been all over television, magazines, and billboards. This is his biggest feature yet!"

Miley shook her head. "That's not what I'm talking about."

"Then…what _are_ you talking about, Miles?" Lilly asked, looking confused.

Miley shrugged, not wanting to look stupid. Lilly reprimanded her every time she brought up Jake. She knew that Lilly was just trying to knock some sense into her but it did not help her in the least. "Don't you think he looks…different?"

Lilly shrugged as she got up and walked into the kitchen. "Well, it has been six months since we last saw him in person. Kid had to grow up sometime." She opened up the refrigerator and stuck her head inside.

Miley followed her and sat down in a stool at the counter. "Once again, that's not what I mean. I mean that he looks like there is something wrong."

Lilly laughed, shuffling stuff around still looking for something good to eat. "Maybe he finally realized how big of an egomaniac jerk he is."

Miley glared at the back of her head. "Lilly…."

"Don't 'Lilly' me, Miley." She shut the door and came out holding an orange. She started to pull off the skin while looking at Miley. "_You _wanted to break up with _him_. Not the other way around."

Miley nodded, fiddling with a table setting in front of her. She sighed with her eyes downcast. "I know. And…he deserved it. But I still miss him, Lilly."

Lilly let out a heavy breath as she walked over to her best friend. She laid a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Look, I understand what you are saying. But, Jake's gone. You asked him to leave. That wasn't for no reason. Something told you that it wasn't working." At this, Miley nodded. "As harsh as this may sound, you need to move on. I'm sure Jake has."

Miley looked up at her friend and nodded again. "I guess you're right."

Lilly stuck a piece of the orange in her mouth before saying, "Of course I am." Just then, the Hannah phone began to ring. Lilly jumped up and down and quickly swallowed the orange. "Oh, can I answer it? Please?"

Miley laughed and nodded. "Sure. Go ahead."

Lilly jumped and ran over to the phone. She cleared her throat, ready to use her 'Lola' voice. "Hello, Hannah Montana's phone. This is Lola Luftnagle speaking." She listened for a moment. "Oh, hello, Tracy. What's up?" She nodded and listened for a few moments before her eyes grew big. "Oh, really now? Well, that sounds like fun! Sure, Hannah will be there. She may have to shift around a few things, but she'll be there. Oh, thank you, Tracy. I can't wait!" She nodded again, a bright smile on her face. "See you later. Buh-bye." She then hung up the phone. She turned to Miley, her eyes dazzling. "Guess who that was."

Miley stroked her chin in mock thought. "Oh, I have no idea. Could it have been…Tracy Vanhorn?"

Lilly nodded but then glared at her. "Hmph. Well, Miss Miley, I guess you don't want to go tonight."

Miley laughed. "What is it, Lilly?"

"Tracy's throwing a party tonight at her house," Lilly explained.

Miley nodded, considering it. "I guess we could go. I mean, we have nothing else to do, right?"

Lilly nodded excitedly before blanching. "Oh, my God! What am I going to wear?!"

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Hannah and Lola stepped out of the limo and onto a makeshift red carpet out in front of Tracy's house. The paparazzi were lined up on both sides of the walkway, cameras in hand. When Hannah was noticed, the night was interrupted by flashes and questions from every direction. She and Lola smiled politely for them as they made their way to the front door. Hannah could barely hear what any of them were saying. She was just about to go through the door that the guard was holding open for her when she heard something that rang in her ears.

"Jake Ryan!"

"Over here, Jake!"

Hannah turned around with a snap and looked in his direction. He was standing on the far end of the walkway. He was flashing his infamous, cocky, I'm-so-awesome smile. He started walking only to be stopped again by a reporter. He was just about to answer her question when he looked to the door briefly and stopped dead. He looked right into Hannah's eyes and all of his poise and arrogance vanished. He mumbled something to the reporter before walking hurriedly towards Hannah.

Lola gave Hannah a tug on the arm, pulling her inside. Hannah just stared at Lola, completely terrified. "What do I do?" Lola just shrugged as a hand came to rest on Hannah's shoulder. It was a familiar touch that made her stomach flutter, her heart flip, and her knees buckle. But he could not know that he did that to her.

She slowly turned around to face Jake Ryan dead on. She gave him a weak, nervous smile. He just stared at her, a slight smile on his own face. "Hey, M-Hannah," he quickly corrected himself. He then turned to Lola. "Lilly?" he asked in a hushed whisper. Lola nodded quickly.

Hannah looked around frantically. "Um…Lola, I'll catch up with you later." Lola nodded and took off down the hall. Hannah then pulled Jake by his arm into a study off the hallway. She closed the door and locked it before turning back to Jake.

"It's good to see you again, Miley," he said, taking a seat in a chair.

Hannah sighed, taking off her wig. She threw it on the chair opposite him. She then sat on the arm and just looked at him. "You look different."

It was true. While he had not changed physically, there was a different shine in his eyes. Maybe, Miley thought, he looked less conceited. But then again, maybe that was just what she wanted to see. She did not want to get her hopes up.

Jake shrugged, running a hand through his hair. He stood up and crossed to the window at the other end of the room. "I haven't changed, Miley. Not yet."

Miley nodded. "I know."

He suddenly turned to face her, his eyes sparkling they way they had six months ago. "I missed you."

"I know." After a moment's hesitation, she added, "I missed you, too."

"Really?" Jake asked, not really believing her. He walked over to her slowly.

She nodded. "Well, honestly, I missed the Jake I'm talking to right now."

Jake nodded as well, his eyes disheartened. "Right, you miss Leslie." He watched as Miley leaned against the wall and closed her eyes. "I want to change, Miley. Will you wait for me until I do?"

Miley sighed, her shoulders rounding. She opened her eyes to stare at him. He could see the turmoil within them. "I wish that I could, Jake. But I'm not about to make promises that I can't keep." She sighed, walking closer to him. "I have missed you so much over the past few months. But, the fact of the matter is, I've only missed the part you are around me; the part you call Leslie. And, it's great that you want to change. That means that you know that…sometimes you don't act the way you should. However," she took hold of his arm and stared up into his eyes. "if you are only going to change for me, then it isn't worth it. You need to change because _you_ want to. You have to change for yourself, not me or any other person. Because it isn't for you, it's never going to stick and that will only lead to disappointment and heartache."

Jake nodded, reaching up to cup her cheek in his hand. "I know, Miley. I need to…figure everything out." He sighed, rubbing his thumb back and forth across her cheek. "I only regret that that means that I'm not going to be with you."

Miley sighed, tears coming to her eyes. "I know, Jake." She wanted to add that she was going to miss being with him as well but she could not bring herself to speak anymore.

Jake smiled sadly down at her. Then, before she could stop him, he leaned in and gave her a gentle kiss on the lips. He was about to pull away when she began kissing him back. After a minute of passionate kisses, Jake pulled away and looked into her eyes. He smiled at her. "Until I see you again." Miley gave a shuddering breath as he stepped back and headed towards the door. He was about to open the door when he stopped. He did not turn around because he knew that if he did, he may never leave. But he needed to say it for he did not know when he would have the chance to again. "I love you." With that, he slipped out of the study, leaving Miley to herself.

A tear silently fell down her face as she turned to the door. "I love you, Leslie." She then picked up her wig, fixed it on her head, and headed outside to the party.

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**I suppose this was kind of an uneventful chapter. It was kind of setting the scene for the rest of the story. This story is going to take place over a few years, showing their changes. So, characters may seem to be OOC but keep in mind that they are changing.**

**Anyway, I hope you enjoyed it! Please review! **


	2. Chapter II

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing.

**Author's Note:** Thanks to those who reviewed Chapter I. Your feedback was much appreciated. Just for another reference, I would like to state again that this story will seem OOC. Remember that we are skipping months at a time, sometimes years, so the characters are bound to change. I apologize if at some points it seems a little unbelievable. But bear with me because I am going somewhere with this. Also, the chapter titles refer to how much time has passed since Jake **gave Miley the note and rose** not since they last saw each other. Anyway, thanks again and here is Chapter II.

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**Chapter II: One Year**

Another six years had passed since Miley and Jake last saw each other in person. However, they saw each other daily through magazines and television interviews. Unconsciously, they looked for references to them seeing anyone, hoping that the one was still longing for the other. Time seemed to pass slowly when living this kind of existence, waiting until fate would bring them together again.

Currently, Jake Ryan's face was plastered on every magazine, billboard, and television station. His biggest movie yet was about to premiere and that was saying something. To the naked eye, it would seem as if his life was perfect, he could not wish for anything more. However, to someone who knew him well, like Miley, they would know that it was all an act. She would stare at pictures and watch during interviews intently, trying to see if she was wrong. She was not, however. She could tell that he was acting in everything he did. While his smiles were as big as ever, they did not quite reach his eyes. While his interviews were flawless without him missing a step, his words just did not seem to hold the excitement and passion that they once did. During one particular interview, the interviewer ended her questions with, "Are you happy, Jake?" He faltered for a moment as if pondering his answer and then he laughed. He answered by saying, "It appears that I would be with everything that I have accomplished in my young life." A very diplomatic response but did not quite answer the question.

On the night of his premiere, Miley and Lilly were sitting on Miley's couch watching the stars strut down the red carpet. Hannah herself had received an invite to the swanky event of the year but she decided to opt out, not quite ready to face Jake again. Their last meeting had been a little too much for her handle. So, there she was, chomping on popcorn, waiting to catch a glimpse of Jake with the arm candy he would be sporting for the night.

A half an hour passed from the time Jake was supposed to arrive. Everyone just thought that he was trying to be fashionably late. However, when a half hour turned into forty-five minutes and all the VIPs had been escorted into the movie theater, the paparazzi began to question where Jake was. Miley herself got a little worried but did not want to let it show in front of Lilly. Lilly, fortunately, had stopped paying attention forty-five minutes ago and was preoccupied with the numbers on the Hannah phone.

Just then, rumors started flying around about a limo crash on the interstate. After it was confirmed, the press flew out, believing that it was Jake Ryan's limo that had met its fateful demise. Miley began passing around the living room, trying to tell herself that Jake was fine. Nothing bad could happen to him. He would be fine. He could come strolling in a few minutes later, laughing about it before going in to watch his newest movie.

However, the live red carpet viewing was suddenly cut off and switched to the news. The top story was that of the limo crash. Miley and Lilly, who had finally come back to earth, sat with baited breath.

"Mercy hospital has confirmed it along with the publicist," the newscaster said. "Jake Ryan's limo crashed along I-93 while on his way to his movie premiere. There is no word on his condition."

Miley's breath caught in her throat. She could feel the air being squeezed out of her lungs. She collapsed into the couch, gasping for breath. Tears stung painfully in her eyes. She could feel herself go cold as Lilly reached over and pulled her into a hug. She whispered in her ear and patted her back, trying to calm her down.

"We need to get to the hospital," Miley said suddenly. She pulled away from Lilly and stared at her with a determined look in her eyes.

Lilly just stared at her incredulously. "Oh? And how are we going to get there?" she asked, trying to talk some sense into her frantic friend. "Your father and brother are at a basketball game. My parents are at some fancy restaurant for whatever reason. And Oliver and his family are out of town for the weekend. I think we have run out of options, Miley."

Miley shook her head and walked over to the kitchen. She grabbed her father's keys off the counter top and jingled them at Lilly. "I'll drive."

Lilly let out a harsh, humorless laugh. "Are you kidding me?! You only have your learner's permit and you have barely made it out of a parking lot."

"Desperate times call for desperate measures, Lilly."

"Do you want to end up in the hospital, too?" Lilly asked as she followed Miley outside and closed the door behind her. Lilly shook her head when there was no answer and looked to the sky. "Oh, God, please help us."

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The ride to the hospital was a terrifying one in Lilly's opinion. While Miley proved to be a decent driver, she was certainly a reckless one at that. Where the speed limit was 35 MPH, she was doing a solid 75. Lilly was gripping at the door handle the whole time as if willing the car to stop. When they finally reached the hospital parking lot, Lilly jumped out before the car was even turned off.

However, Lilly had little time to catch her breath as Miley grabbed her arm and pulled her passed the paparazzi and into the emergency room door. She ran to the front desk and slammed her hands on the table, effectively catching the receptionist's attention.

"Can I help you?" she asked, popping her gum in an obnoxious way.

Miley decided to put on a polite front. "I was hoping that you could tell me where Jake Ryan is at." She smiled at her politely.

The receptionist rolled her eyes. "I can't, sorry." Too bad she did not sound like she was.

At this, Miley grew furious. Lilly tried to restrain her but she could not. "I'm Miley Stewart! I dated Jake Ryan! Now, tell me where he is before I really make a scene."

She let out a laugh and continued popping her gum. "Sorry, Millie, but you're not immediate family and I could care less who you are."

Miley gave her a loud huff before stomping away. She walked to the end of the hallway before leaning against the wall. Tears once again came to her eyes as she placed her head in her hands. "Now what?" She sobbed, feeling completely useless.

"Miss Stewart?" a voice said, coming from behind Lilly.

Both turned around to see an older blond haired woman in a fancy suit staring at them. She had brilliant hazel eyes that shone with sadness. Her makeup was smeared and it looked as though she had been crying.

"Yes," Miley said, taking a tentative step towards her.

The woman broke out into a small, sad smile. She reached out a hand. "Hello. I'm Mrs. Ryan, Jake's mother."

Miley let out a sniffle as she shook her hand. "I'm so sorry, Mrs. Ryan." She let out a shuddered breath. "How is he?"

Mrs. Ryan began to walk towards the elevator, motioning for Lilly and Miley to follow her. She pushed the up button and turned towards Miley. She sighed, shaking her head. "Well…he's asleep right now." The door opened and they stepped inside. She then hit the floor 5 button. Once the doors closed, she continued. "It gets worse. The truck that ran into the limo hit into the side where he was sitting. They believe he might be…" she broke off for a minute, wiping her tears away from her eyes. "They believe he might be paralyzed. His legs have been unresponsive."

Miley and Lilly gasped. Lilly put a comforting arm around her friend. "Are you sure? I mean…."

Mrs. Ryan just shrugged. "They say it could just that his body is in shock. We won't know until they run more tests, which they can't do until his strength is up." The doors then opened again and the three stepped out.

Miley found herself in a hallway guarded heavily by police. She and Lilly cautiously followed Mrs. Ryan, eyeing up the bodyguards. Mrs. Ryan stopped in front of a door with all the blinds pulled down. "My husband must have gone for coffee." She said after looking up and down the hall. She then turned to Miley. "He's asleep but you can go in if you like." She then gave her another smile and put a motherly hand on her shoulder. "He's told us all about you. He truly cares for you."

Miley smiled back up at her, tears silently flowing down her face. "I care for him, too, Mrs. Ryan." Then, she slowly opened the door and walked inside.

For a few moments, she just faced the closed door and breathed in deeply. She did not want to face the sight of her love lying helplessly in bed. She closed her eyes, preparing herself for the worst, before she turned around.

Jake was lying in perfectly white sheets. His hands were resting on either side of him, the left covered in an ace bandage. His face was covered in small cuts. Above his eyebrow were a few stitches and his right eye was starting to turn black and blue. Wires were connected all over his body and were hooked up to various machines. These machines were making loud noises; beeps, hums, clangs.

Miley slowly approached the bed, fiddling with her hands. She could not believe that this was the Jake Ryan that she knew. That Jake Ryan could barely be seen sitting down. And now, here he was, peacefully asleep. Miley let out a breath and she pulled up a chair and sat down at his side. She took his right hand in hers and gently caressed it with her thumb. She then turned to the machine that was registering his heart. It had a steady rhythm that she closed her eyes to. Beep. Beep. Beep.

"Miley?"

The drowsy and confused voice sounded foreign next to all the beeps, hums, and clangs. Miley jumped slightly in her chair and turned to Jake. His eyes were open slightly. He smiled up at her, really smiled. None of that "Hey, look at me, I'm Jake Ryan" crap, just a Jake/Leslie smile. The smile that she loved and dreamed about.

She smiled back at him. She reached up and brushed some of his blond locks out of his eyes. "Hey there."

He smiled brightly as she did so, ignoring the pain throughout his body. He sighed and leaned back into his pillows. "It's been a while," he said, looking up at her with bright eyes.

Miley nodded as she continued to rub his hand. "It has," she agreed.

"Too long," he said, trying to prop himself up. "Crummy circumstances at that."

Miley just sighed and looked away for a moment. Jake stared at her intensely, trying to get her attention back. "I've been trying, Miley."

She turned back to him with sadness in her eyes. "Have you?" she asked, disbelieve threaded through her soft voice. Before he could answer, she shook her head. "No. This is neither the time nor the place."

Jake shook his as well, pulling her hand closer. "No, it is." He let out a slight laugh. "This whole situation really throws everything into perspective." Miley just looked at him, urging him to continue. "I mean, I've been struggling with who I want to be and if I want to change. This whole ordeal," he gestured with his injured hand around the room, "shows that maybe that's not my choice to make. Or…I don't know, maybe it is and that it's time to do so." He sighed and closed his eyes for a moment. "I may be paralyzed, Miles. This could be the end of my career as I know it." He let out another humorless laugh.

Miley shook her hand and brought his hand to her face. "No, don't say that."

"This could be it, Miley," he continued.

"Nothing is going to keep you down," Miley said, staring straight into his eyes. "You're Jake Ryan; egomaniac, superstar, Hottie of the Year." She laughed lightly.

Jake just shook his head and looked away. "Maybe…maybe that's not who I want to be."

Miley stood up and sat down next to him on the bed. She turned his head gently towards her to make him look at her in the eyes. She put on a light, forced smile, trying to get him to laugh. "That sounds like Leslie talking."

Jake sighed, not seeing the humor. "Leslie only comes out when you are around." He reached up and cupped her face. "I love you."

Miley felt tears come to her eyes as she stared down at him. "And I love Leslie, the guy I'm talking to right now. The guy who kissed me on the beach. The guy who said he wanted to be normal. The guy who named a star after me and told me his real name was Leslie. But I can't love Jake Ryan, no matter how much I want to. The guy who thinks it's all about him. The guy who gets other people to do stuff for him."

Jake breathed in deeply and closed his eyes. "Well…that was a little harsh, Miley."

She sighed, shaking her head. "I didn't mean the way it came out."

He only nodded. "Yes, you did. Jake is a bastard and Leslie is sweetheart. I get it."

She backed away from him. "It's not that, Jake. It's that you are one person to the world and another around me. You need to decide who you are going to be. There can't be two different people. It doesn't work that way."

Jake laughed and looked at her. "Oh, really?" When she nodded, he looked at her questioningly. "Well, what about you? You are the poster girl for split personalities. And then here you are, telling _me_ that _I'm_ wrong. You and me…we're the same. You are one person to the world and one to your friends and family."

Miley shook her head. "Hannah and Miley are one in the same, Jake. Hannah is a star but because of Miley, she's grounded. Hannah gets the perks and doesn't abuse them."

"So that makes it okay? Because you lack the bitchiness of being a star, it's okay for you to be two different people?"

Miley sighed and turned her back on him. She heard him sigh and she turned around again.

"You know, for the past six months, I hoping that you would miss me enough and despite the fact that I haven't changed, you'd love me anyway. Because while you are different people, whether you choose to accept it or not, I love you for everything that you are. You could be three different people and that wouldn't change. I just wish that you felt the same."

Miley started to cry again, biting on her lower lip. She took a step towards him again. "It's not that I don't love you…"

"That's not what you just said."

"I know what I said," Miley replied. "As I was saying, it's not that I don't love you for everything that you are, it's that sometimes I can't deal with everything that you are. Seeing what it's like to live a normal life and a famous one, I realize that I'm privileged because I know how not to act, too see what comes off as snobby or whatever. However, you haven't had that. And while I do love you, I can't be with someone who only sees themselves as someone who is famous. If that is who you are and who you want to be, then that's great. I will always love you, even more so once you make your decision."

"But we won't be together," Jake said, sighing.

Miley shrugged, sitting down next to him once again. "I don't know, Jake. Maybe, maybe not. I want you to make the decision to change because you want to." She laughed lightly. She leaned down and brushed her lips against his.

He smiled. "I love you, Miley. And I will make that decision."

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**Well, there's Chapter II. I hope you liked it. A bit of drama in there to throw Jake into reality. So, yeah…**

**I'm not sure how long this is going to be but there are not too many chapters left. So give me some inspiration and leave me a review! Thanks!**


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